Professor Wang brings a specialty in AI and customer engagement to his classes at the Kogod School of Business.
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Kogod School of Business
This semester, the Kogod School of Business is excited to welcome Yitong Wang as a new faculty member in the Information Technology and Analytics department. Wang brings years of experience in data analytics and expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and joins a roster of Kogod faculty at the forefront of AI research. At a time where Kogod is making strides in developing an AI-infused curriculum, it’s experts like Wang that set it up for success.
Wang’s background includes time in both academia and the private sector with an overarching focus on consumer behavior. He began his career as a professor at universities in China and Australia, teaching industrial engineering and consumer decision-making courses. In 2019, he moved to Hangzhou, China, to join online retailer and tech giant Alibaba, where he worked in data analytics, business intelligence, and customer satisfaction. While there, he discovered new ways to utilize generative AI in customer service. He was responsible for combining AI with existing service agents for a more efficient and higher-quality call center experience. With this experience supplementing his time teaching, Wang then decided to return to university work—and found that Kogod was the perfect place to combine his understanding of AI with his own goals.
“I decided to return to academia to combine my practical experience with research and to have more freedom to make a broader impact in teaching and scholarship,” Wang said. “With the implementation of its AI strategy, Kogod offers me a great platform and ample opportunities, which is why I moved here.”
As he settles in after moving across continents to join Kogod, Wang is looking forward to getting to know his new workplace better. From the teaching environment to the goals of his students to the research interests of faculty members both within and beyond Kogod, there’s a lot to learn from American University, and he’s excited to get started.
It’s an exciting time for Wang to join Kogod’s faculty. The school has been nationally recognized for its efforts to promote education on AI, and its offerings continue to expand. Through his time at Alibaba, Wang has seen the way that AI can be utilized alongside experts across fields to allow people to work more effectively and use these new tools to the best of their ability. As a professor, he says his goal is to create AI architects—students who can set themselves apart in their fields through a firm understanding of how to use AI as a resource in their work.
As a business school, our goal is to nurture business leaders. In the future, these leaders will need a solid understanding of AI and hands-on experience with it.”
Yitong Wang
Professor of Information Technology and Analytics, Kogod School of Business
“Figuring out how to create a supporting environment where AI can deliver its maximum value, work effectively with humans, and drive better results presents both a challenge and an opportunity for our students,” Wang said.
With AI developments moving at a breakneck pace, Wang has plenty of opportunities to learn more alongside his students. The capabilities of generative AI have improved significantly quickly, and he is particularly impressed by its ability to process data. Though many businesses began keeping records digitally when the Internet became more widespread, generative AI tools take the process further by analyzing data and recognizing patterns and structures within those records. Between new tools appearing and existing tools becoming more refined, Wang is thrilled to be teaching AI to aspiring business leaders and getting the chance to participate in emerging discussions about the technology.
“AI’s fast development is capturing global attention and channeling a huge amount of resources into a field that I find both crucial and fascinating. I believe I will continue to witness many breakthroughs soon and, by leveraging these innovations, contribute to more valuable business research,” he said.
Early in Wang’s career, he found himself interested in field research due to his interest in seeing how theory looked in practice; in his own words, his research journey evolved from his ongoing pursuit of understanding the real world. Though he began his studies in laboratory settings, he was more curious about seeing how his research translated into what happens in the business world. That interest in more hands-on research led him to Alibaba and his current focus on artificial intelligence.
“My interest in AI grew from observing its remarkable impact on real business practices,” he said.
I realized early on that generative AI would transform every aspect of the business landscape. I became eager to utilize data analytics to understand and help shape its development.”
Yitong Wang
Professor of Information Technology and Analytics, Kogod School of Business
Wang’s future research goals line up perfectly with Kogod’s overarching goal of teaching AI in business. He’s particularly interested in studying how adopting AI early in a business’s lifecycle impacts its success and what specific tools can boost efficiency in everything from transactions to customer service. Beyond that, he also wants to learn more about the relationship between humans and AI in the workplace—a topic ripe for discussion as AI becomes more commonplace.
“I want to explore scenarios in which humans and AI coexist. AI can compete with or complement human efforts in these settings,” he said. “Where are the boundaries between these roles? Under what circumstances does AI serve as a substitute, and when does it work collaboratively with people?” They’re excellent questions, and exactly the kind that both Wang and his students can explore through the AI education and research going on at the Kogod School of Business.
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